Stop signal for railway crossings



H. MORRIS ET AL July 15 STOP SIGNAL FOR AILWAY CROSSINGS Filed Nw. 15,A 192s 3 sheets-sheen d 9 t .mn M 7, mamy .m w. a 5 WW .1. mJaJ .h mmf S ll. Hrw J N. Q S O .L A Y.. n m Q wwmv s m. s .Dn R 1M. M u... N, H ,w .S... .P O T S A. 2 9 14 1 w c, W .W ,I .W u 1111 J L W. |||||||l|v..

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Patented July 15, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFxcE.'

HENRY MORRIS, ARMoUR HOWARD, AND GEORGE W. GARTMAN, E cHUNcHULA,

ALABAMA. i

STOP SIGNAL FOR RAILWAY GROSSINGS.

Application filed November 15, 1923. Serial No. 674,958.

T0 a-ZZ whom t may concern Be it known that we, HENRY MORRIS, ARMOUR HOWARD, and GEORGE IV. GARTMAN, citizens of the United States, residing at Chunchula, in the county of Mobile and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stop Signals for Railway Crossings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a stop signal for railway crossings, and particularly to a construction comprising a train actuated means for the automatic operationv of a crossing gate or other signal device.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel and improved construction wherein the signal actuating means is adapted for ope-ration in the movement of a car wheel in one direction, and to be shifted into an inoperative position in an opposite direction of movement of said wheel. Such construction embodies an actuating rail mounted for movement longitudinally of a track rail and also movable laterally thereto, together with a connection from said actuating rail to a signal device.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of actuating rail pivotally mounted upon parallel links for longitudinal downward movement, and a pitman` rod extending from the end of the rail to a crank` shaft carrying an operating rod for a cross shaft connected to the respective gates.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of the means for actuating a pivoted crossing gate comprising a shaft having an arm and yielding connection therefrom to the gate together with oppositely disposed actuating rails having connections to move said shaft in opposite directions, one of said actuating rails being adapted for movement out of operative position subsequent to the actuation of theopposite rail.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter set forth and the novel features thereof defined by the appended claims.

In t-he drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan of the invention applied;

Figure 2 is a vertical section on line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figures 3 and 3A are enlar ed elevations of one of the actuating rails;

Figure 4 is a detail elevation of the gate operating shaft and its connections; and

Figure 5 is a plan of the actuating rail at the left of Figure 1.

Iiike numerals refer to like parts throughout the several figures of the drawing. 'i

The invention has been shown herein vas applied for the operation of a vcrossing gate, but is applicable to other forms of signal devices. In the form shown the numeral 1() designates the usual' track rails mounted upon crossties 11 forming a support for the actuating rails 12 which are "disposed immediately adjacent to the rails andadapted to kbe depressed longitudinally by contact with the fla-nge of a car wheel 13, as indicated by dotted lines vin Figure 3. This actuating rail is mounted upon a series of links 14 having pivoting shafts 15 extending through supporting bars 16 and capable of longitudinal movement in such supports Iwhen the actuating rail is forced away from the track rail 10. For the purpose of thus removing the rail 12 from operating position the free end thereof is deiiected away from the track rail as at 17 so that the iange of the car wheel may enter between the actuating and track rails and force the former laterally out of operative position with the flange. This'action causes a compression of the spring 18 which is disposed between the link 14 and one of the supports 16 and such spring restores the rail 12 to operative position after the tiange of the wheel has passed from contact therewith.

In orderto support the actuating rail 12 in elevated position for contact with the car wheel it is provided with a connecting lug 19 from which a pitmaii rod 20 extends to a crank arm 21 upon the actuating shaft 22 and this crank arm is normally retained in one position by a tension spring 28 extending therefrom to a fixed support. The power is transmitted from the shaft 22 by means lof -a crank armV 2d disposedoppositely to the .a1-,m21 and from which a conecting link 25 extends vto the rod 26 which is'disposed beneath the supporting ties 11` and passes through a series of guides 27 thereon until it reaches the cross shaft 2,8. which controls the operation of the gates. This sha-ft is formed with crank members 29 and 80 op- -positely disposed for connection with the rods 26 extending to the opposite sides of the road crossing which is to be protected by a gate 3l or other signal device.

In order to insure safe and accurate operation, a guard rail 32 is secured to the ties opposite to the position of the actuating rail 1Q and is formed at each end with inwardly bent portions 33 to suitably guide the flange of the car wheel. In order to permit the operation of the rod 26 in a direct horizontal plane, the end thereof next the crank members 29 and 30 is connected thereto by means of a link 84.

ilvhen the invention is applied for the operation of a crossing gate as indicated at 3l such gate is pivotally mounted upon a post and provided with a restoring weight 36. The cross shaft 2S is also pro vided with an operating arm 37 from which a coiled spring connection 3S extends to the gate and is disposed so that said spring is tensioned as the gate reaches its lowered position, thus relieving the strain upon the parts to prevent injury thereto and also assisting in the initial raising of the gate when the actuating rail is retracted from its depressed position, The gate when lowered may be supported at its free end by any desired means, for instance a post 39 having a bifurcated upper end l0 containing a cushioning spring di with which the end of the gate engages in its downward movement.

In the operation of the invention itwill be seen that a train approaching from the left of Figure l depresses the actuating bar at that side of the crossing thereof by operating the gates to lower the same while the continued movement of the train causes the wheel iiange to engage between the track rail and the actuating rail at the right of the crossing so that this member is not depressed and no further movement of the gate occurs. This lateral retraction of the actuating rail from operative position is permitted by the yielding mounting of the supporting links and such mount-ing may also be used to restore the rail` to its elevated position. In a movement of the train from the right an opposite operation of these parts occurs. The crossing gates as shown are similar in construction and the operating connections therefor from the cross shaft are duplicated at each side of the track rails. The construction also provides means by which the movement of the actuating rail is transmitted by a direct reciprocating rod to the shaft for the operation of the gates so as to secure a positive operation of the several parts during the period when the actuating rail is longitudinally depressed. lIlhis rail may be made of any desired length proper for maintaining the gates or signals in operative posi tion until the train has fully reached the road crossing.

The construct-ion of gate connection with its operating shaft provides for a yielding tension thereon which prevents injury to the parts and also a violent contact of the gate with its supporting member when in lowered position. In the rapid travel of a train the actuating rail would be depressed and its connection shifted more rapidly than the gate would move from its elevated to a lowered position, and such action would tension the spring connection which in its retraction would shift the gate to lowered position by a slower action.

Thev specific constructionof the actuating rail and its connections with the gate have been shown and described but the invention is not confined thereto as changes and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as recited in the following claims Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a crossing signal, an actuating rail mounted for movement longitudinally of a track rail, a pivoted gate, an operating shaft therefor provided with a crank arm, an operating rod fromsaid actuating rail mounted to slide in a. single plane and having a link connection to said crank arm, a gate operating' arm upon said operating shaft disposed'beneath the gate, and a tension spring extending directly from said gate operating arm to the gate. r

2. In a crossing signal an actuating rail pivotally mounted upon parallel links for longitudinal downward movement, means for mounting said links for movement later ally of the. actuating rail, means to normally project said actuating rail toward a track rail, and means for transmitting the longitudinal motion of said rail to a signal' device.

3. In a crossing signal, an actuating rail, pivoted links supporting the-same, aY tension means at one endV of said rail for holding it in elevated position, means to permit a longitudinal movement of the pivots of said links, and means for projecting said links toward a track rail.

4. In a crossing signal, an actuatingy rail, pivoted links supporting the same, tension means at one end of saidl rail for, hold ing it in. elevated position, means to permit a longitudinal movement of the pivots of said links, and a spring surrounding the pivots of said links and tensioning the links toward a track rail.

5. In a crossing signal, the combination with track rails, of a. gate disposed parallel thereto, actuating rails at each side of said gate mounted for movement longitudinally of the track rails and also laterally thereto, crank shafts disposed at one end of each of the actuating rails and connected thereto by a link, an operating rod extendino' from each of the crank shafts, a cross shalt hav ing opposite crank arms connected to said operating rods, and an arm extending from said cross shaft and connected to actuate said gate.

6. In a crossing' signal, an actuating rail having a deflected portion at one end and a connecting tension member at the opposite end thereof, parallel links for supporting said 'rail provided With longitudinally movable pivots, and means at said pivots for tensioning said links in one direction.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures.

HENRY MORRIS. ARMOUR HOWARD. GEORGE W. GARTMAN, 

